Millions of children in the United States enjoy taking martial arts classes. They offer a great way to teach discipline and self-defense as well as building confidence. If your kid wants to take it a step further and take MMA lessons, you probably are a bit concerned about safety. Mixed martial arts certainly can be dangerous; there are some ways to minimize the risks.
Keep in mind that your child won't be thrown into a cage and begin sparring on the first day. Not only does it take a great deal of training to get to a level of competition, when your child does compete, he will be wearing a variety of pieces of protective gear, including head gear, shin guards and other pieces of equipment. Also keep in mind that most sports pose some risk to the body, including the most popular kid sports such as baseball and football.
While all sports certainly teach some level of discipline and sportsmanship, the main goal of baseball or another sport is to win a game. With youth MMA, kids aren't going after each other in the cage, beating each other up. At the young levels, prior to age 16, especially, children are simply learning a variety of MMA skills. They do spar with one another, but at a good school this is done in such as way to minimize injury. The goal of youth MMA is to help improve the ability to defend oneself, as well as building confidence and improving a person's overall fitness and discipline.
When you search for an MMA school, go inside and talk with the instructors. Get a feel for the philosophy that is prevalent in the gym. A good gym will be one that has instructors that want students to be disciplined and work hard but aren't aggressive or intimidating. The focus should be on self defense and physical and mental health, not on aggression. You should see a good amount of camaraderie and sportsmanship among the children, as well. If all of these elements are in place, then this is the type of atmosphere you want.
Of course, if you would still prefer to avoid MMA classes but your child is really enthusiastic about training, consider a compromise. Why not sign up for just one style of martial art? One martial art that definitely will help lead a child into MMA training at an older age is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. This art teaches many skills essential for MMA fighting, though it doesn't pose the same level of risk as all-out MMA. Most BJJ facilities focus on self defense and not on pushing aggressive behavior.
Other fun choices your child might enjoy include Taekwondo, Judo or perhaps wrestling. These are certainly safer than kickboxing and boxing, but even learning those skills can be fine if you aren't sparring with an opponent. Boxing training is excellent exercise and a great way to improve coordination, but you can wait to actually fight someone until you are in your late teens to minimize problematic injuries.
Keep in mind that your child won't be thrown into a cage and begin sparring on the first day. Not only does it take a great deal of training to get to a level of competition, when your child does compete, he will be wearing a variety of pieces of protective gear, including head gear, shin guards and other pieces of equipment. Also keep in mind that most sports pose some risk to the body, including the most popular kid sports such as baseball and football.
While all sports certainly teach some level of discipline and sportsmanship, the main goal of baseball or another sport is to win a game. With youth MMA, kids aren't going after each other in the cage, beating each other up. At the young levels, prior to age 16, especially, children are simply learning a variety of MMA skills. They do spar with one another, but at a good school this is done in such as way to minimize injury. The goal of youth MMA is to help improve the ability to defend oneself, as well as building confidence and improving a person's overall fitness and discipline.
When you search for an MMA school, go inside and talk with the instructors. Get a feel for the philosophy that is prevalent in the gym. A good gym will be one that has instructors that want students to be disciplined and work hard but aren't aggressive or intimidating. The focus should be on self defense and physical and mental health, not on aggression. You should see a good amount of camaraderie and sportsmanship among the children, as well. If all of these elements are in place, then this is the type of atmosphere you want.
Of course, if you would still prefer to avoid MMA classes but your child is really enthusiastic about training, consider a compromise. Why not sign up for just one style of martial art? One martial art that definitely will help lead a child into MMA training at an older age is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. This art teaches many skills essential for MMA fighting, though it doesn't pose the same level of risk as all-out MMA. Most BJJ facilities focus on self defense and not on pushing aggressive behavior.
Other fun choices your child might enjoy include Taekwondo, Judo or perhaps wrestling. These are certainly safer than kickboxing and boxing, but even learning those skills can be fine if you aren't sparring with an opponent. Boxing training is excellent exercise and a great way to improve coordination, but you can wait to actually fight someone until you are in your late teens to minimize problematic injuries.
About the Author:
Rod Bourgoine enjoys blogging about mixed martial arts benefits. To get further information about an MMA gym in San Diego or to find jiu jitsu lessons in San Diego, please check out The Arena MMA site now.
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